Transfer AMEX Points to Partner Airlines & Hotels Without Paying an Annual Fee
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Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.Million Mile Secrets reader, josh mackles, commented:
You have been a great teacher in always reminding us that Chase Ultimate Rewards points only transfer to travel partners if you have certain chase cards like Chase Sapphire Preferred, and Citi ThankYou points only transfer if you own certain cards like Citi Prestige.But I don’t recall you ever mentioning AMEX Membership Rewards points. I just signed up for the whopping 50,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points bonus for the AMEX Premier Rewards Gold card, but I don’t want to pay the $195 annual fee that will come due the 2nd year.
So my question is, if I cancel this card, will I be able to transfer the points to an airline using my no annual fee AMEX EveryDay card? Or will I need to keep another AMEX Membership Rewards points card that has an annual fee?
Thanks for your question, Josh!
You CAN transfer your AMEX Membership Rewards points to travel partners with the AMEX EveryDay card!
In fact, it’s the only no annual fee credit card that allows you to transfer points to hotel and airline programs.
I’ll remind you which partners are available, and some of the best ways to use your points! And give you tips about what to do if you decide the card isn’t right for you.
About AMEX Membership Rewards Points
Link: AMEX EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
AMEX Membership Rewards points give you a lot of flexibility with your travel plans. That’s because you can transfer them to airline and hotel partners:
| American Express Membership Rewards Airline Transfer Partners | ||
|---|---|---|
| AeroMexico | Air Canada | Alitalia |
| ANA | Asia Miles | British Airways |
| Delta | El Al | Emirates |
| Etihad | Flying Blue (Air France / KLM) | Hawaiian Airlines |
| Iberia | JetBlue | Singapore Airlines |
| Virgin Atlantic |
| American Express Membership Rewards Hotel Transfer Partners | ||
|---|---|---|
| Choice | Hilton | Starwood |
You can check out how to use AMEX Membership Rewards points to visit Europe. And learn about how to use them for flights on United Airlines, too!
You’ll notice the AMEX EveryDay card is on the list, and it’s the only 1 with NO annual fee.
When you sign-up, you’ll also get:
- 10,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points after spending $1,000 on purchases with your new Card within the 1st 3 months
- 2X AMEX Membership Rewards points per $1 at US supermarkets up to $6,000 a year and
- 1X AMEX Membership Rewards point per $1 on other purchases
- NO annual fee
- Terms & Limitations Apply
But if you use the card to make 20 or more purchases within a billing cycle, you will earn an extra 20% Membership Rewards points, less returns and credits. There is NO minimum transaction amount for any of those 20 purchases.
There’s also the AMEX EveryDay Preferred card that earns a 50% bonus on points if you make 30 or more transactions per month and earns 3X AMEX Membership Rewards points on the 1st $6,000 spent on groceries each year, 2X AMEX Membership Rewards points at US gas stations, and 1X AMEX Membership Rewards point on all other purchases.
But it has a $95 annual fee. Read my reviews of both cards to see which 1 is best for you!
Do This Before You Cancel!
Option 1: If You Must Cancel, Evaluate for ~10 Months First
Link: Is It Worth Keeping Your American Express Card After the 1st Year?
Link: When Should You Cancel Your Credit Cards?
Josh wants to cancel his AMEX Premier Rewards Gold card before the annual fee is due the 2nd year.
If you decide a card isn’t right for your after the 1st year, you can cancel it. Simply call the number on the back of your card. There won’t be any pressure to keep the card open, and at best you’ll get a retention offer to keep the card, or even a fee waiver for another year.
If you don’t want to speak to anyone, you can even send a secure message via online banking.
In general, I evaluate whether to keep or cancel a card after 9 to 10 months. That’s because most cards waive the annual fee for the 1st year, so there’s no point canceling the card immediately.
And banks don’t like when you close a card right after getting the sign-up bonus! So they might hesitate to approve you for more of their cards in the future.
Keep in mind with personal AMEX cards, you can only earn the sign-up bonus once per lifetime!
And remember to keep your points if you do decide to cancel!
Option 2: Convert the Card
Link: What’s the Difference Between a Charge Card and a Credit Card?
Another option is to convert the card to another 1 that has no annual fee. That way you can keep your credit line, and improve your relationship with the bank (and even boost your credit score!).
You can convert the AMEX EveryDay Preferred with a $95 annual fee, for example, to the AMEX EveryDay card, which has NO annual fee. That’s because they’re both credit cards.
However, when you convert card, you will NOT have the opportunity to earn a sign-up bonus as if you were a new applicant.
But Josh can NOT convert his AMEX Premier Rewards Gold to the AMEX EveryDay card. That’s because the former is a charge card.
AMEX won’t let you switch from a credit card to a charge card, or vice versa.Find out which AMEX cards are charge cards and which are credit cards.
Josh might decide to cancel his AMEX Premier Rewards Gold card, but in the future, remember you can usually convert a card to another 1 with no annual fee – and that goes for most banks, not just AMEX!
Bottom Line
Folks with the AMEX EveryDay card can transfer their AMEX Membership Rewards points to partner airline and hotel loyalty programs, even though the card has NO annual fee. So it’s a great card to open and keep forever!I love transferable points because of the flexibility that comes with them! Be sure to read how to use AMEX Membership Rewards points to visit Europe. And how to use them for flights on United Airlines, too!
Reader Josh is considering canceling his AMEX Premier Rewards Gold card. I always recommend you keep a card for at least ~10 months before you cancel so you can fully evaluate the perks of the card.
And before you cancel, consider converting it to a no annual fee card instead. Just remember you can’t convert a credit card to a charge card (or the other way around).
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